Plastic
Bertrand was the alias of new wave prankster Roger Jouret, a
native of Belgium who appropriated the sound and style of the new
wave movement in order to give it a gently satirical poke in the
ribs, while scoring several European hits in the process. Jouret
began

his musical career as a drummer for the Belgian punk
trio Hubble Bubble, which recorded one unsuccessful album. When
Jouret met producer/songwriter Lou Deprijck, the two struck up a
recording partnership; Jouret emphasized his pretty-boy looks and
punkish fashion

sense. Their first effort, "Ça Plane Pour Moi"
("This Life's for Me"), is widely regarded as a New Wave
classic for its gleefully deranged stupidity, with Jouret singing
French nonsense lyrics in a cartoonish voice over basic three-chord
rock & roll complete with saxophones

and a falsetto vocal hook
straight out of the Beach Boys or Four Seasons. The
song was a smash in Europe and became a cult favorite in
America; Plastic Bertrand continued to release
records in Europe, including a U.K. hit remake of the Small
Faces' "Sha-La-La-La-

Lee." Bertrandexperimented with
seemingly every new wave fashion, including spacy electronics, disco,
bubblegum pop, reggae, and spoken word raps, all with the same
naggingly entertaining stupidity. He remained popular on the European
continent and in

Canada for several years, where audiences were more
attuned to his largely French lyrics, but the novelty eventually wore
off, and nothing was heard fromBertrand after 1982. Plastic
Bertrand released several albums, all of which are difficult
to find; a greatest-hits collection is also floating around.